This invention relates to turret tooling for production lathes known as "Chucking Machines". This type of lathe has a headstock and spindle to turn the work, and is characterized by a multi faced turret that carries multiple tooling, a usual "chucker" having an eight sided turret for the reception of eight distinct tool holders that are replaceable to the requirements of the work to be machined. There is a variety of tool holders to carry single, double and triple bits, to carry boring bars, drills and taps, and to carry taper slides etc. Heretofore, tool holders have been adjustably installed on the turret to suit each job situation, with the result that "setup time" is involved, and in the case of complex and/or precision machining the setup time can be very costly and to the extent that in many instances a chucking machine is devoted entirely to the manufacture of a single work piece, or in some instances certain stations thereof are left on the turret in readiness for repeat orders of a certain work piece. In other words, setup is many times so critical and difficult that it is not economical to remove tool holder setups. However, with the present invention it is an object to provide a replaceable tool holder cartridge upon which a tool setup is established and which can be removed and reinstalled in exact alignment with respect to the turning axis of the lathe spindle and the tool positioning face of the turret. It is to be understood that a multiplicity of tool holder cartridges is applicable to a turret, one at each indexing station thereof.
A feature of chucking lathes is that the top face of the turret is an accurately machined flat positioned a certain distance below the spindle axis, for example 3/8 inch for the use of 3/8 inch tool bits. Further with respect to the turret, the vertical side face at each index station is accurately machined at a normal angle to the first mentioned top face and accurately positioned radially from the turning center of the turret. It is an object of this invention to advantageously employ the aforementioned accuracy in the placement of a tool cartridge which can be initially set up and then used, removed and reused without subsequent setup. With the present invention, the tool holder cartridge is preferably set up for the one index station at which it is to be used, and no other. The top face of the turret at said use station is employed to determine height positioning of the setup, and the side face of the turret at said use station is employed to determine radial positioning of the setup, while the horizontal positioning with respect to the turning axis is determined by the adjustable positioning of an adapter held by hold-down bolts engaged in transverse T-slots in the turret. Accordingly, the tool holder cartridge of the present invention provides a supporting face for accurate positioned engagement with the top face of the turret, and provides a locating face for accurate positioned engagement with the side face of the turret. Thus, exact replacement of the tool holder cartridge is made possible.
The top face of the turret is the plane upon which the tool holders made for these chucking machines are designed to be supported, so as to place the cutting point or edge of the bit at the height of the turning axis. And, heretofore the said tool holders have been applied directly onto said top face with the tool bits cantilevered from the side face of the station at which they are installed. Characteristically therefore, the setup assembly at each station has involved the combination of tooling parts with the turret per se. However, with the present invention it is an object to provide a complete self-contained replaceable cartridge that can be permanently set up for installation at a certain station, and thereby capable of exact positioning when reinstalled. With the present invention, tool bits, drills, taps etc. are permanently set up singularly or in groups on this tool holder cartridge which provides an extension of the top face of the turret, an attachment that cantilevers from the side face of the turret where it is adjustable for transverse placement by means of the usual methods and use of instruments such as a dial indicator.
Tool setup involves the angular and linear placement of the bits, cutting elements, and in this respect it is an object of this invention to include predetermined angularity and/or linear placement of the cutters in the cartridge setup. With the present invention, the disposition and angularity of the cutting tools and/or bits is permanently established with respect to the cartridge by removing the combination to a comparator or the like prior to installation of the setup cartridge on the turret of the lathe. Thus, when using form tools and the like, angularity placement as well as linear placement of the tools is pre set in the cartridge combination.